U.S. Funding to Bolivian Opposition "Shrouded in Secrecy"

Who in Bolivia is receiving millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars? That is what many Latin America policy analysts in Washington want to know.

"Washington has decided to keep its ties to Bolivia's opposition shrouded in secrecy," said Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research, an independent think tank. "USAID is not supposed to be a clandestine organisation," said Weisbrot. "But by providing clandestine aid to opposition groups, it gives the impression that the U.S. is contributing to efforts to destabilise the Bolivian government."

President Morales recently declared the U.S. ambassador Philip Goldberg "persona non grata" and asked him to leave his country within 72 hours. Morales accused Goldberg of aiding right-wing Bolivian opposition groups.

The opposition in five out of Bolivia's nine provinces is up in arms against the first-ever indigenous government's attempt to rewrite the country's constitution and bring about economic and social reforms in favor of the majority native population.

[Excerpt of an article by Haider Rizvi, IPS]